


Lost In The Woods

by MaroonCamaro



Series: Lost in the Woods [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Boys Kissing, First Time Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Handcuffs, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Bondage, M/M, Philip Blake | The Governor Being an Asshole, Spanking, Teen Angst, Underage Kissing, Underage Sex, Underwear, Underwear As Gags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:32:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4443569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaroonCamaro/pseuds/MaroonCamaro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU.  Rick gets lost in the woods freshman year and Daryl finds him and guides him home.  Both boys instantly feel a spark and journey through adolescence together.  When Rick confesses his love senior year and Daryl runs away in fear of messing up Rick's life, Rick is shattered and will do anything to convince Daryl that he is Rick's life.  Can Daryl see past his sacrificial act born of his own love for Rick to come back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost In The Woods

**Author's Note:**

> First, as always, I would like to thank [ArchLucie](http://archiveofourown.org/works/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&work_search%5Bquery%5D=archlucie) , she is perfection beyond belief. I would also like to thank [MermaidSheenaz](http://archiveofourown.org/users/MermaidSheenaz/pseuds/MermaidSheenaz) , who reminded me that it probably isn't easy to be gay in some places (like high school).  
> I'm working on my first multi-chapter fic and it was just getting out of hand with too much day to day interaction, so I wrote this to practice large gaps in time.  
> Please remember as you read this that Rick and Daryl are teenage boys and may do things that grown up Rick and Daryl would know to be really dumb.  
> I tinkered with this after my Beta, so any mistakes you see are mine and mine alone.

It was all because Rick got lost in the woods.

Daryl had been following a kid from school around the woods for about 20 minutes before he felt pity for the lost boy and showed himself.

“What'cha doing?” he asked.

“Taking a short cut home,” the clearly befuddled kid said.

“Why didn't ya just take the bus?” Daryl asked him. Daryl could see the kid was well off, new shoes and a new backpack to go with the first day of school outfit, so there was no reason for him to be tromping through the woods.

“I only live on the other side of the woods and the bus takes forty-five minutes,” the kid explained.

“Right, so how long ya been in the woods?” Daryl had to hold back his laugh, damn rich kid.

“Probably longer than that. It's different on the inside,” the kid said looking around.

Daryl snorted, “Come on.”

Daryl 'lived on the other side of the woods' too, but not in the same direction. He lived in the trailer park out by the industrial park, he guessed this kid lived in the new subdivision behind the shopping center. Both communities backed up to the woods, only on different sides of the proverbial tracks.

Daryl looked at the kid out of the corner of his eye. He looked like the jock type, maybe a baseball player because he wasn't all thick necked like a football player. He had dark hair and sky blue eyes that took in his surroundings in wide eyed wonderment.

He led the kid through the woods along the path that the dumb ass had somehow missed, getting him to the neighborhood of two story, partially brick houses. Daryl could see kids playing, neighbors out talking, dogs barking, totally opposite of the trailer park where Daryl lived.

Well, it actually would be similar, but this place was shinier, cleaner, just  _better._  The kids in Daryl's neighborhood would be out playing too, just with second hand toys. The grown-ups would be out, but would not be so neighborly. Maybe getting drunk, fighting, cussing. There were dogs, a whole pack of them. Nobody really owned them, they just ran around the park, getting into the garbage, chasing smaller animals, scaring people.

“Hey, thanks man,” Dumb-ass turned to Daryl and stuck out his hand, “Rick.”

“Daryl.” He took Rick's hand in his own to shake it.

Rick didn't let go after the customary three shakes, just stood there holding Daryl's hand and peering deep into his eyes. Daryl felt his breath catch. It was like Rick was looking deep into his soul, seeing what Daryl would never dream of sharing with anyone. But Rick stripped him bare with that look, saw the secret Daryl'd thought he'd take to his grave.

That even though he presented himself as a tough redneck, someone not to mess with, he had a weakness—dark haired, blue eyed, jock type guys. And Daryl was pretty sure Rick had somehow figured that out in the ten minutes they'd been walking in the woods.

And maybe this Rick kid liked scruffy rednecks because he said, “See you tomorrow?” And he was still holding Daryl's hand.

***

Daryl walked Rick through the woods all that school year, sometimes they talked, sometimes they didn't. It took Rick six months to work up the courage to kiss Daryl and it took Daryl another month to kiss him back.

They never talked at school, they were in two different social circles, Rick was a jock and in the popular clique, Daryl was in the loner clique that consisted of just Daryl. And even though they were both freshmen, they didn't have any classes together that year.

They didn't get to walk home together everyday, Rick would have practice or whatever rich, popular kids did after school. Daryl would be in the woods regardless, he had no after school activities and his dad sure as hell wasn't planning any family game night or dinner for that matter.

Over the summer Rick would wander into the woods a couple of times a week. The kisses had gone from brief 'I can't believe I just did that' pecks to 'I want to feel you on my lips and smell you on my clothes'. Those kisses had evolved from shy pecks and closed mouth pressing of lips, to heated, wet explorations with their tongues. Mostly they just hung out, Daryl showing Rick how to shoot his crossbow and Rick showing Daryl how to throw a fastball.

They had Spanish together sophomore year. The teacher had arranged the class alphabetically by last name. Rick ended up at the end of the second row and Daryl at the end of the third. They still didn't talk much at school, but they at least had an excuse in Spanish class, practicing their pronunciation to each other. If the teacher noticed their shy smiles at each other and the way they seemed to lean into each other, she never said.

Now that they were fifteen, puberty was in full swing for both of the boys, making their walks in the woods more interesting. One or the other could fly off the handle for no particular reason (although Daryl usually did when he felt Rick pitied his poverty), or their kissing sessions would morph into grope sessions. Exploring each other through their clothes became a new game.

The first time Rick had put his hand down Daryl's pants and jerked him off Daryl'd been so shocked he stared at Rick for a whole minute before taking off, ignoring Rick's attempt to call him back.

Daryl was determined to make Rick come harder and faster than he had the next time they met in the woods. Two days later he'd pushed Rick against the lightning struck oak that was just out of sight of the school, hand down the jock's pants, mouth firmly attached to the juncture of Rick's neck and shoulder. Rick had made some hot, needy noises when Daryl had kissed him there.

Rick had actually shouted Daryl's name as he came and Daryl had counted that as a victory in this new contest.

The next time they got together it ended in a fist fight, their first. Rick had wanted to invite Daryl to a party and Daryl knew that would be a miserable mistake. Neither boy would back down, Rick wanting Daryl to be a part of his social group so that they could hang out more, Daryl knowing the other kids would never accept him and just make Rick's life hell for introducing him to the rich shits.

They didn't walk home together for two weeks, Rick getting rides from one of the older kids on the baseball team that lived in his neighborhood. After a week Rick was ready to make up, but Daryl wasn't. Rick had started searching the woods for Daryl, and even though he'd learned a lot from Daryl over the last fourteen months, he still didn't have Daryl's skills honed from being in the woods since he was fresh out of diapers.

Daryl had finally relented after seeing Rick sitting at the base of the lightning struck oak, his head resting on his arms that were crossed over his knees.

Rick had heard a sound (Daryl'd already been standing there for five minutes before he kicked the rock) and looked up to see Daryl standing in front of him, looking away into the distance.

“Daryl, I'm sorry,” he said as he stood up quickly.

Daryl nodded his head, but still couldn't bring himself to talk or even look at Rick yet.

“I was wrong, I know. You would never feel comfortable with those guys, I knew that. I just...god Daryl,” his hand rubbed his brow, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“'M sorry too.” Daryl still couldn't look at Rick, still ashamed of causing Rick any pain.

Daryl immediately had his arms full of a relieved Rick Grimes. And Daryl couldn't hold back any longer, holding Rick as tight as Rick was holding him. When Rick kissed him this time, it was slow and sensual. They ended up lying on the ground, Daryl on top of Rick, grinding into each other, hands exploring under shirts, until they both spent in their pants.

They laid there, coming down from their orgasm, until Rick started laughing. Daryl tried to be insulted, but he couldn't resist the sound of Rick's laugh and soon joined him.

“I guess that was our first make-up sex,” Rick laughed.

“Yeah,” was all Daryl could say, caught up in those happy, bright blue eyes. He wanted to look at them every waking moment for the rest of his life. But he had realized over the last two weeks that he was on borrowed time. Rick would be expected to start dating girls, go to prom, get into college and get married.

All Daryl had to look forward to was to hopefully graduate and get a job at one of the distribution centers in the industrial park by his mobile home. Maybe knock a girl up (not that he'd ever seen a girl that he wanted more than Rick), get married, have a few more kids, get divorced and drown in child support.

***

Junior year Rick and Daryl had two classes together, English and math. Daryl hated English and Rick hated math. Before it got too cold they would study together in the woods by their dead oak tree, Rick explaining punctuation and helping Daryl write essays, and Daryl helping Rick understand algebraic formulas.

When Rick turned sixteen his parents gifted him with a used Jeep Wrangler. When Daryl turned sixteen his dad told him to get a job and start paying bills.

Daryl had tried to stand up to his dad on that one, but his dad was still bigger and meaner. Daryl had ended up a bloody mess on the bathroom floor on his birthday. He missed two days of school, his dad bitching the whole time about him being a baby because he couldn't handle a whooping. He didn't bother asking his dad to write a note, so he failed the English test that he missed.

He'd avoided Rick's eyes in their shared classes his first day back, knowing that Rick could read his soul through his eyes. Daryl could feel the prickle on the back of his neck that meant Rick was staring at him hard, willing him to turn around. Rick had tried to catch Daryl in math before the bell, but his jock buddies had come in and diverted his attention.

When Rick caught up to him in the woods and put a hand on Daryl's shoulder to get him to just stop and turn around, Daryl had yelped and dropped to his knees, the pain flaring from the light touch. Rick had unknowingly put his hand where two of the deeper cuts crisscrossed right over his shoulder bone. Daryl of course couldn't really see, but he thought those two might have actually gone to the bone.

Daryl had wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, that he was ok, but he couldn't avoid Rick's eyes any longer. Those eyes that could read his soul. Rick had burst into tears, not of sadness, but of anger.

“Let me see,” he demanded.

“It don't make no difference, you can't do nothing about it,” Daryl tried to push him away.

“Daryl, please.” Rick knew Daryl would break from the soft plea.

Daryl gave a short nod of his head and started unbuttoning his shirt. When he began struggling to get his left arm loose, hissing in pain, Rick had pulled the sleeve off for him.

Rick didn't say anything for a long time, his hand hovering over the mass of cuts scabbing over Daryl's once unmarred back.

“Your dad?” Rick asked.

“He said since I was old enough to work I had to get a job and start helping to pay the bills. I told him that I wanted to stay focused on school, wanted to graduate, not fund his drinking habit. He took offense to that I guess,” Daryl gave a short laugh.

“What...how...” Daryl knew what Rick was trying to ask.

“He has this belt, real proud of it, wears it all the time. It's real thin and made out of leather, kinda looks like a whip,” Daryl told Rick.

Rick closed his eyes, his head drifted towards the only spot on Daryl's back that wasn't marred.

“Daryl, come to my house, let me put some medicine on it at least,” Rick was begging now.

“Will you stop bitching about it if I do?” Daryl had to put up some kind of a fight.

“Promise,” Rick said standing up and then reaching a hand to Daryl to help him up.

They managed to get Daryl's shirt back on with just a few hisses of pain and one loud 'mother fuck!'

“How long did it take to get it on this morning?” Rick asked after the ten minute procedure.

“Long enough.” Daryl would only admit that much, not that it had taken the better part of an hour.

Rick's parents weren't home yet, so they didn't have to worry about running into them and getting asked awkward questions.

Rick led him in through the basement door to the bathroom that his mother had insisted they needed since the basement was finished. He sat Daryl on the toilet facing the shower as he got out the stuff to clean his back. Daryl had started taking off his shirt again, and Rick helped him ease it off his more injured side.

“What are they charging him with?” Rick asked as he dabbed the stuff in the brown bottle on Daryl's back.

“What? SHIT, that burns asshole!” Daryl flinched away from Rick's ministrations.

“Sorry, sorry. It's this or rubbing alcohol and believe me, this is better.”

The peroxide was bubbling something fierce as Rick put on more. He should have had Daryl strip down and stand in the shower so he could just pour it straight on his back. But then he figured it would really burn when it got to Daryl's ass.

“So, what are they charging him with?” Rick tried again.

“Who?” Daryl asked.

“Your dad,” Rick said, exasperated.

“I can't say nothing,” Daryl whispered.

“Why the hell not? He beat the shit out of you! Some of these need stitches, not just peroxide and a band aid.”

“And then what, huh? I'll go into foster care? Is that better?” Daryl looked over his shoulder at Rick, catching his eye, wanting him to know how Daryl feared the foster care system.

“It has to be better than this!” Rick cried, gesturing to Daryl's torn up back.

“What do you know? Ever know any of the kids in foster care?” Daryl went on after Rick shook his head, eyes wide, “They get beat up a lot worse than this. Or you go to a place that has fifteen or thirty kids and you're just another mouth to feed. And you'd be lucky to stay in one place long enough to unpack. No, I ain't gonna turn him in. I can avoid him, mostly. It's only 'til I turn eighteen.”

“You're going to avoid your dad for the next two years? In a trailer?” Rick asked him skeptical of Daryl's plan.

“Well, if I'm going to school and working, I won't be there much. So, yeah, I can,” Daryl theorized.

“I thought you didn't want a job?”

“He don't need to know I ain't working.”

“And how are you going to provide money for the bills without working?” Rick hated poking holes in Daryl's plan, really he did.

“I'm not saying it's a good plan, it's more of a work in progress,” Daryl admitted.

“You're an idiot,” Rick laughed at him.

“I'm your idiot,” it was involuntary, really, Daryl hadn't thought about it at all before it left his mouth. It was a joke he'd heard so many times on stupid comedies on TV. But, he didn't want to take it back, or brush it off as a joke. He yearned to be Rick's in whatever capacity he was allowed.

Rick had stopped rubbing the peroxide soaked cotton ball on Daryl's back. His eyes just staring at a point in the middle of the injured back, not really focused, his thoughts a whirlwind in his head. Was Daryl his? Were they more than friends with benefits? Was there something more here that they would have to acknowledge?

“Just a joke man, we ain't gotta go out and buy promise rings,” Daryl tried to lighten Rick's heavy thoughts.

“No, it's not.” Rick got down on his knees in front of the toilet, hand on Daryl's arm, pulling him around to look him in the eye.

“Daryl, I...When you were gone for two days without a reason why, I was so worried. And then you wouldn't look at me so that I would know you were ok,” Rick looked away, the tears had come back and he wanted to catch his breath before he started to full on sob.

Daryl took that opportunity to look down, twisting his fingers in the shirt he held in his lap.

“And then when I hurt you out in the woods...”

“You didn't hurt me Rick, I was just surprised 's'all,” Daryl couldn't let Rick think he hurt him.

“And what he did to you! I want to kill him Daryl. I want to go to that shitty trailer park and find him and blow his brains out for what he did to you.” Rick had looked back to Daryl now, his face a mask of anger, his eyes a fearsome blaze of rage.

Daryl cupped Rick's face, “Hey, I'm here. I'm gonna be ok. Just need you to stay here with me.”

Rick blinked, once, twice and then scrunched up his eyes and shook his head hard. He took a few deep breaths and pinched the bridge of his nose while he forced himself to calm down.

He took Daryl's hand into his own, “Come on.”

It reminded Daryl of their first meeting in the woods. But now it was Rick leading Daryl into unfamiliar territory. And a house in the 'burbs was way scarier to Daryl than even the deepest, darkest wood.

Rick had given Daryl his first blow job there in the basement that day. Said he wanted to make Daryl feel good, said it was a belated birthday present. It had been mostly spit and teeth, and some gagging when he got too bold, but it was perfect. The sight of Daryl's erection sliding into Rick's pink lips that first time was a memory that Daryl would always hold dear.

Rick hadn't let Daryl do it to him, insisting he would have to wait until Daryl was healed up. In the end, he'd let Daryl kiss him while he masturbated, coming in record time. The sight of Daryl's enraptured face looking down at him while he had sucked Daryl off was something he was never gonna forget.

***

Daryl didn't get a real job, but he had plenty of work. Rick found out his used Jeep needed some engine work and of course Daryl could do it. Rick had then told his friends and some of the neighbors what a good mechanic Daryl was, and that was all it took for Daryl to be doing mechanic work almost everyday.

Rick had given him an old flip phone, which Daryl tried very hard not to accept, but Rick said he needed it for his business and besides, the minutes were prepaid for and he might as well use them. Rick used Daryl's ignorance of how prepaid phones worked to keep him from knowing Rick was buying cards every week and adding minutes out of his own pocket.

When spring came, Rick started baseball again. He was on the varsity team this year and had been voted captain. He was busier than he'd ever been. He and Daryl still shared classes, but could rarely get away to meet in the woods anymore. Thank god for the cell phones.

They texted about twenty times a day on a bad day, and just enough for a get together on a good day. Rick had had to put Daryl in his phone as Darla and say he was a girl from another school to keep Shane off his back about how much they texted. He'd told Daryl he was in his phone under a different name, Daryl hadn't minded, he didn't want everyone to know that Rick was slumming it with him.

Daryl had finally been able to give Rick his blow job. He'd done about as good as Rick, mostly spit and teeth. But Rick didn't care, he just stared at Daryl's head bobbing up and down for the two and half minutes it took for him to blow his load.

They started trading blow jobs as often as they could get away together, in the woods under their oak, in Rick's basement, and a couple of times in Rick's Jeep. They even had a code word for it, 'milk'.

Rick would text Daryl:  _Hey babe, want some milk for our date tonight?_

Daryl would text back:  _Only if you get some too._

Shane thought Rick and his girlfriend had an unhealthy obsession with milk.

Rick found out that Daryl went crazy when he took Daryl deep into his throat. Rick had had to work up to taking all of Daryl in, but when he actually swallowed the one time while he had his nose full of pubic hair, Daryl had come so hard he'd had to take a nap after, so of course Rick did that every time now.

Daryl had learned that Rick loved having his balls sucked on as much as having his dick sucked. Daryl would take both balls in his mouth and suck while his tongue would work the underside of Rick's sack. And the time that Daryl was blowing Rick and he accidentally included Rick's sphincter (Daryl had gotten that question right on the biology test yesterday) in his licks, Rick had jumped up about a foot. Daryl thought he'd hurt him, but Rick said it was the best thing he'd ever felt in his life. So, of course Daryl started licking Rick's hole for him too.

When the baseball team went to state that year, Daryl congratulated Rick by eating out his ass while Rick writhed and moaned on his bed, masturbating along with Daryl's attention. And when Daryl really became adventurous and stuck a spit wet finger in there, Rick had screamed out louder than the first time Daryl had given him a hand job, coming hard all over his stomach.

They spent their free time that summer exploring the new sensations they found in anal play. Daryl liked it ok, but he still preferred a blow job. Rick loved it and couldn't get enough, forgoing a blow job in favor of getting ate out or having Daryl stick his fingers in Rick's ass. Since Rick had a computer, he'd gone online (while Daryl was gone and he was home alone) to learn more about this new sex that he craved.

Rick was at turns thrilled and disgusted with what he found. He had no idea that his ass (or any ass for that matter) would be considered a sex organ. And what people did to their poor asses was beyond belief, Rick didn't think he would ever try the majority of the stuff he saw on the internet. But he did learn a lot, like that they needed to get lube, and lots of it, and that he might want to 'clean' himself better before they played down there again. And that he and Daryl had a prostate and they needed to find it and fast.

He still wasn't sure about going 'all the way' with Daryl yet. From what he'd seen it could be awesome, but it could also be very painful. Daryl didn't seem to care either way, his craving was for Rick's touch, anywhere he could get it, and to touch Rick. Rick had seen Daryl flinch away from people in school, especially after the incident with his father, but he would lean into Rick, would drift toward him if they were in a room together until he was just a hair's breath away.

Daryl had come over one day late in July while Rick's parents were away with a wicked grin on his face. Whatever had put it there, Rick wanted it in spades. Turns out it was a pair of handcuffs.

“One of my dad's floosies left them. Don't worry, I washed them and soaked them in bleach,” Daryl told him.

Rick took the cuffs from Daryl and examined them, “Where does the key go?'

“Ain't no key. See this latch here? That's what unlocks 'em. They're made for using during sex, not like real hand cuffs.”

Rick looked at Daryl, a wide smile plastered on his face, “Let's do this!”

They were in Rick's bed, Rick's arms stretched above his head, handcuffed to the headboard in no time. Daryl was having his naughty way with Rick's cock and balls, keeping him just shy of coming and driving Rick insane.

“Please Daryl, please,” he begged, he was going to die if he couldn't come soon, he just knew it. He also knew that Daryl knew what he was begging for without actually saying it.

Rick had told him about the lube that was now kept in his bedside table, so when he saw Daryl reach across the bed towards the drawer it was hidden in, his pulse and breath increased so much he thought he would pass out.

Daryl had lubed up a finger and Rick's hole with (probably too much) lube. He toyed with the hole until Rick started pushing down on Daryl's finger, trying to get him to slip it in. Daryl laughed at him, but complied and slowly inched his index finger in.

But Rick craved more, and begged for it, “Come on Daryl, please.”

Daryl squirted more lube on Rick's already leaking hole and worked a second finger in. He worked the two fingers in and out slowly, a little more 'in' on each stroke. Soon, he had both fingers in as far as he could and still Rick asked for more, squirming and panting on the bed in that way Daryl loved.

Daryl wasn't laughing now, this was hot, and he wanted to savor making Rick beg like a dog for a treat. The third finger was inserted without more lube, as it was dripping all over the bed anyway. And Rick was now rocking on Daryl's fingers faster than he could move them.

“If you don't stop doing that, I'm gonna stop what I'm doing,” he admonished Rick.

Rick whined like a little baby, but forced himself to stop.

“It's so good Daryl, I'm so close, please,” he begged some more.

“What if I don't want you to come yet? What if I want to look at you like this for the rest of the day, what then?” Daryl didn't know where this aggressive side of himself had come from, but Rick was eating it up and Daryl was getting off on it too. His dick was as hard and leaky as Rick's was and he hadn't even touched it yet.

Daryl now had all four fingers slowly pushing in and out, fascinated by how Rick's hole seemed to suck them in.

He looked up at Rick, and almost came from the sight. Rick's hair was a mess, a fine line of sweat on his forehead and above his lip. His eyes were wide and glazed, his face flushed, mouth hung open and panting. He was fucking beautiful.

Daryl couldn't help himself, he heaved himself over Rick's body, laying flush with him, their cocks scraping against each other. He took that begging mouth into his and kissed Rick like it was the last thing he would ever do.

Rick had wrapped his legs around Daryl's lower back and was rocking their cocks together, kissing him hungrily the whole time.

He broke their kiss, panting hard, “Please Daryl, do it. I can't stand it anymore, please just do it.”

“Do what, baby?”

“Stick your dick in me, I want it.”

“I thought we were gonna wait 'til you were ready?” Daryl had no intention of rushing Rick into this.

“I'm ready, fuck I'm ready, please, please,” Rick was staring deep into Daryl's eyes, talking to him in their non-verbal way,  _I'm ready, I want this, I want you._

Daryl took a long shuddering breath and nodded once.

He reached up and unlocked Rick's hands, he wanted Rick to be able to fully participate. If he wanted to do it with the handcuffs in the future, they could do that, but not right now.

Rick slowly put his arms down and pulled his legs back like he'd seen the guys in the videos do. Daryl was mesmerized by the sight. Rick, the popular jock who'd taken their high school baseball team to state, who was wealthy beyond Daryl's comprehension, who could have anyone he wanted, was laid open below him, begging him.

He had to close his eyes and focus or he'd come before he even got started.

He lubed up his fingers again and inserted a finger in the still stretched hole.

“Said I was ready,” Rick huffed above him.

“Don't be greedy. Don't wanna hurt you if I don't have to.”

“It's gonna hurt the first time Daryl, I know. But I want it so bad.” Rick was panting now, his legs pulled back and wide, ready.

Daryl sighed and got the lube out again to lube up his cock, he probably used more than he needed, but he really, really didn't want to hurt Rick.

After he'd stalled as much as he could, lubing up his hard member and watching Rick squirm, he crawled close enough that he could get his cock to Rick's little hole. Daryl wasn't sure how he was gonna fit in there, but Rick had explained it all to him the other day.

He lined up and slowly pushed, and...he couldn't get it in. Rick had thrown his head back and was breathing hard, so he wasn't going to be any help. Daryl spied one of the extra pillows Rick had strewn around on his bed and had a flash. He took the pillow and stuffed it under Rick's ass, changing the angle of his hips.

Daryl lined up again and slowly pushed forward, and he could feel that he was making progress, but it was still slow going.

“Relax baby, I need you to relax and push a little for me, ok,” he coached Rick.

Rick nodded his head and took a deep breath, Daryl then felt the hole relax so he pushed again and the head of his cock finally made it past the first ring of muscles.

“Wait! Wait,” Rick said, putting a hand on Daryl's stomach.

“No problem, I can wait all day,” Daryl soothed him, running a hand up and down one of Rick's thighs. He really couldn't wait all day, it took all he had not to push in all the way. He'd never felt this kind of heat and tightness, not even in Rick's mouth.

“Ok.” Rick moved his hand away from Daryl's stomach, allowing Daryl to push forward again.

Daryl had to stop looking at his cock being swallowed up in Rick's ass or he would have come in the next two seconds, but looking up at Rick's face was worse. His beautiful eyes were half open and unfocused, staring at nothing, mouth hanging open again, and panting like a dog in heat.

Daryl moaned at the sight. God, Rick was so fucking  _beautiful_.

After twelve hours or twelve seconds, Daryl wasn't sure which, he finally had worked the majority of his dick in. He stopped to gauge how Rick was doing.

“Ok, baby?”

Rick's eyes focused again and looked at Daryl, “It feels...I feel...god, Daryl, you feel so fucking huge.”

“Am I hurting you?” He would pull out and never even try this again if he was. Even if it was the best feeling he'd ever had in his life.

“No, just...different. Give me a second,” Rick said.

Daryl licked his lips and thought about all those damn baseball stats Rick was always going on about. How he could suck at math but still figure out batting averages was a mystery to Daryl.

“Ok, go slow,” Rick said.

Daryl licked his lips again and nodded his head,  _slow_ , got it.

He pulled out at an agonizing pace, snails would be flipping him off for going too slow. Rick had let go of his legs to reach back behind him to grip the head board and, damn, that was fucking hot.

“God Rick, you're so fucking beautiful,” Daryl let slip. What guy wanted to hear he was beautiful?

Daryl had pulled out enough that if he pulled any more he'd pop out, and after how long it took to get in, he wasn't going to let that happen. He started pushing back in trying to speed up a bit. Rick's back bowed up so much Daryl could barely see Rick's face. He put a hand on Rick's stomach, careful not to touch the engorged cock.

Rick relaxed immediately and Daryl could feel it all the way down to where their bodies met. This push in was much easier than the first, getting a little further.

Daryl readjusted himself to get a little closer and pushed just a bit more.

“Fuck!” Rick cried out.

Daryl froze, but Rick wasn't scrambling to get out from under Daryl, so he assumed that it was a good 'fuck'.

He pulled out all the way to the head again and pushed back in, Rick now canting his hips up to meet Daryl's. Daryl took this as an invitation to go faster, so he doubled his speed. Now turtles would be flipping him off instead of snails.

PBut Rick was pushing him to go faster still with his hips, so Daryl did his best to comply. With each stroke he went a bit faster, Rick pushed up a bit harder. And when Daryl adjusted his knees for a better angle, Rick practically came up off the bed. But Daryl had seen this before, back when he'd slipped a finger in for the first time, so he knew that he'd done something that would leave Rick dazed.

He kept the angle he had, but sped up the pace. Daryl had never seen Rick such a wreck, eyes unfocused again, mouth hanging open, face sweaty, and vowed to get him like this every damn day if he could.

Daryl leaned over Rick, pushing Rick's legs farther back and hooking them over his arms. Now he could really pump into him. Rick seemed to come around enough to notice Daryl was much closer now, so he let go of the head board and latched onto Daryl, pulling him down for one of their hot kisses.

Daryl never wanted this to end. The feel of Rick all around him was all he could ever want in this life or the next. Rick's eyes were telling him that Rick felt the same way, and Daryl knew that should scare the hell out of him, but right now he couldn't think beyond this perfect moment.

Rick was making a new noise that Daryl'd never heard, not a whine or a sob, something in between. But it was in time to Daryl's thrusts, so it must be a good thing.

“I'm gonna...I'm gonna come, Daryl! Don't stop! Don't stop! God, please don't stop!” Rick was panting hard now, staring deep into Daryl's eyes. Daryl couldn't, wouldn't, look away for anything right then. He knew what it meant, he would savor it for now. Worry about what it really was later.

Rick's eyes widen suddenly and then rolled back in his head as his whole body convulsed and then seized up, his mouth open enough to scream, but no sound came out. His ass had squeezed Daryl so hard, he couldn't move his dick, but that was ok, because Daryl was coming too. The lights around them dimmed, and all the sound stopped for his orgasm, the bed—no the whole room—shook with it.

They held each other tight as they came down from their high, both boys breathing hard and fast. Daryl didn't want to pull out until his erection went down (or ever), not wanting to cause Rick any discomfort.

“Fuck Daryl, you didn't even touch my dick,” Rick said.

“Shit, man. I'm sorry,” Daryl apologized.

“No, no. It was good, perfect.” Rick smiled up at Daryl and kissed him slow and sweet.

Pulling back to look at Daryl, his soul shining bright in his sky blue eyes, he said those tragic words, “God Daryl, I love you.”

Daryl jerked as though he'd been struck, forgetting to wait to pull out, and scrambled off the bed.

“Sorry, sorry. Rick I have to go, I forgot I gotta get home.” Daryl was trying to put his shirt and his pants on at the same time, not worrying about his underwear.

“Daryl?” Rick's voice cracked, plaintive.

Daryl paused in his frantic dressing, not looking at Rick, “You don't mean that. We're just friends that fool around. Fuck-buddies 's'all.”

“When did we decide that?” His voice was stronger, but still so distressed.

“I don't know,” Daryl whispered.

Rick climbed off the bed, moving slow, and took the two steps to Daryl. He put his hand on the shoulder that wasn't scarred, trying to get the half dressed boy to turn around.

“Daryl, please.”

Daryl bowed his head and turned around slowly, too ashamed to look Rick in the face.

But Rick wouldn't have it. He put his hand under Daryl's chin and carefully tilted his face up. Daryl's eyes were little slits, trying to hold back the tears that Rick could see waiting to fall in them.

“Ah Daryl, why?”

“You can't love me. You have a future, a plan, you're gonna be someone. I'm...I'm just a nobody, someone to forget about.”

Rick had started shaking his head as soon as Daryl started his explanation, “No, you're not a nobody. You're somebody. And I want you in my future, hell you are my future as far as I'm concerned.”

“Nah, you're gonna get a scholarship to play ball and go off to college. Can't have a redneck boyfriend waiting for you back home, 'cause sure as shit I ain't going to college.” Daryl tried to turn away again, but Rick still had ahold of his chin.

“Me loving you has nothing to do with all that,” Rick protested.

Daryl jerked away, “It does, damn it! I ain't like you, I don't have a bright future waiting for me! And who's gonna believe that a rich kid like you would have anything to do with me?”

“I don't care!” Rick cried out, trying to get Daryl to look at him again.

Daryl took a deep breath and said, “I don't belong here, I never have. You should go and get one of the cheerleaders to date you, maybe Lori, she likes you.”

“I don't want Lori, I want you! I've always wanted you! Since you found me in the woods. Damn Daryl, you looked like a fucking angel come to rescue me. What do you want me to do to prove it to you? I'll tell the whole damn school, I don't give a fuck. Just don't do this,” Rick was crying, something he rarely did.

“Don't you fucking dare!” Daryl's anger flared, “I...I can't do this anymore. I'm too busy. Take your phone back.”

He tried to hand Rick the phone, but Rick backed away and wouldn't take it, “It's already paid for, and you need it for your mechanic work.”

Daryl hesitated a minute and then put it back in his pocket. The sight of Rick crying was too much and Daryl let out a sob, “Damn it, Rick. It would never fucking work and you know it. We're just kidding ourselves. We should just stop now. You'll get over me, forget about me while you're away at college. Find some pretty girl to give you babies and stuff.”

Rick had sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket over his naked lap. His hands were two tight fists in his hair, his tears streaming down his face, “I won't ever want anyone but you, never.”

But Daryl had gone, running down the steps and out the basement door. He ran through the woods, along the paths that he and Rick had explored over the last three years, stopping when he got to the burnt out oak tree. Finally allowing himself to feel the hole he'd carved into his own heart, he fell to his knees and wailed.

*** 

_Ping._

"Darlena!  Your phone's goin' off again!" 

"I'll get it in a minute Merle, I'm gettin' in the shower."

That boy took more showers than anyone Merle knew. Taking one every fucking day, and sometimes twice if the mood struck him. If you didn't do anything to get dirty, and just going to school couldn't possible get you dirty, why do you need to take a shower? Merle usually got by with only two or three showers a week. Save water and soap that way. It was just wasteful taking a shower every damn day. But then Daryl always actin' like he was too good for the trailer.

_Ping._

"Son of a bitch," Merle got up off the broken down couch to find Daryl's annoying phone. The damn thing had been going off all day. Daryl would check the phone, staring at the text for a while, and then put the phone down without answering. He'd told Merle one of the kids at school was just sending him dumb jokes.  

Merle walked down the narrow hall to Daryl's room, pausing to listen to the shower still running. He found the phone on the built in dresser amidst the contents of Daryl's pants, wallet, change, and half a pack of smokes. Merle pockets the change and the smokes, it wasn't even a whole dollar in change and Daryl's too young to smoke any way.

_Ping._

Right, he was after that stupid phone. Merle flipped open the phone to see Daryl had ten missed messages from 'Rick', must be the kid sending the jokes. They must not have been funny, because Daryl had frowned at all of them. Maybe he just didn't get the jokes. 

Merle opened the first text,  _I'm sorry_

That didn't sound like a joke.  Merle paused to listen for the shower to make sure Daryl was still primping in there.

Merle looked at the previous text from 'Rick',  _We don't have to tell anyone.  We can just stay like we were._

Definitely not a joke.  Merle narrowed his eyes and scrolled through more messages.  A couple more 'I'm sorrys' and a few 'We can go back to what it was'.

But the one that made Merle see red was the one that said,  _I love you Daryl, please talk to me_

"The fuck you doing in my room?"

Merle spun on his heel, eyes still narrowed, "Care to explain this?"

Merle held up the phone, the last text he'd read from Rick still open. Daryl's eyes went wide in fear and he tried to snatch the phone out of Merle's hand.

"Uh uh, baby brother. Tell me that 'Rick' is a chick with a stupid name."

"It's none of your fucking business, Merle! Now give me my fucking phone," Daryl tried for the phone again, the tattered robe he got three Christmases ago from one of those charities falling open.

Merle pushed Daryl into the door jam, hand in the middle of his chest, "Tell me you ain't no fag."

"I ain't, he's crazy." Daryl was watching Merle's eyes to see when he could chance for his phone again.

"Then why does he keep talking about 'going back to the way things were'?"

"Merle, just give me the phone."

Merle pushed harder on Daryl, the door jam now painfully pushing into his scared back.

"I know what a love sick bitch sounds like, and this here 'Rick' has a fever."

Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother's awful metaphor.

_Ping._

Daryl lunged for the phone again, but Merle pushed him out into the hall and slammed the door shut.

_Just come back so we can talk_

_Please Daryl_

Daryl banged and kicked at his door, yelling at Merle the whole time to just give him back his phone, damn it! When Merle finally opened the door, Daryl wasn't expecting it and fell forward onto his floor. He quickly rolled over in hopes Merle hadn't seen his back when his robe flew open as he went flying. Luckily, Merle had stepped out of the room looking down the hall.

"He ain't here," Daryl told Merle.

"He was here when I laid down on the couch."

"He went out the back door, thought he saw that Rita chick pull up and he didn't want to listen to her bitch."

Merle turned and leaned against the door jam still reading through the damning texts on Daryl's phone, "Now, I'm gonna ask you again,  _Darlina_ , who the fuck is 'Rick' and why is he saying he loves you?"

Daryl signed and curled himself up into a sitting position, "He's a guy from school. He lives over in the new subdivision. We...we're friends and..."

"Don't hand me a line of bullshit, Darlina" Merle warned Daryl, a dark look in his eyes.

"I'm trying to tell you! We were just fooling around, it didn't mean nothin'. When I figured out he was too attached, I gave him the boot." Daryl knew that even admitting that wouldn't go over well, but it was too late to deny that there was a relationship.

Merle stepped up to Daryl, jerking on the loosely tied robe and hauling Daryl to his feet, "What the fuck were you even doing messing around with a guy? Dixon's ain't no fags." 

"He was just following me around all the time, wantin' my attention! He wanted to blow me, so I figured I'd let the rich kid have a little taste," Daryl pushed away from Merle, he hated that he was lying, hated that he had to demean their relationship, but knew that Merle wouldn't understand how Daryl really felt. Probably wouldn't even if Rick was actually a girl.  Merle loved Merle, mostly, never really understood about love for another. Merle would talk about blood, loyalty, but not so much about love.

"Now Darlina, it's hard enough keeping the tramps at bay, why you gotta be foolin' around with some fag that's begging for dick?"

"Shit, Merle, he was just blowing me in the woods, all right?  I'm done, told him to fuck off and find somebody else to get his jollies from." Daryl held his hand out for his phone, hoping Merle would accept what Daryl had told him.

"I don't know baby brother, seems this Rick can't get the hint. Maybe he needs ol' Merle to tell him to fuck off for ya."

"He's a rich kid Merle, he'd be calling his daddy quickern' you can say spit and then you'd get picked up for harassment or some shit. You're still on parole, and you'll go back and do another 90 days," Daryl knew the threat of going back to county would be the only thing to keep Merle out of it, "Come on, I need my cell phone for work."

Merle held the phone out to Daryl, but when Daryl went to snatch it out of his brother's hand, Merle grabbed Daryl's hand painfully and pulled him forward again, "You best tell that fairy to flitter off, and if I hear tell of you fucking around with some fag again, I'll beat the gay right out of ya. You got me baby brother?"

"Yeah, Merle I got you."  

***

Rick sighed as he heard a knock on his door, probably his mother again, or god forbid, his father. They'd been trying to get him to leave his room for a week. But he couldn't leave, it still felt like Daryl was there. He'd found his lover's underwear and had stuffed them under his pillow. It was all he had left. They'd never really shared gifts or mementos, or picked up any trinkets and attached special meaning to them. So, he had Daryl's underwear stuffed under his pillow.

“Hey man, your mom says you ain't feeling too hot,” Shane said poking his head in the door.

Shane, why did it have to be Shane? They'd known each other since their tee ball days and Shane considered Rick to be his best friend. Shane hadn't been Rick's best friend since...Daryl. God, Daryl.

He missed him so much. Even when they would go days with out seeing each other, they could text, see what the other was doing. But Daryl hadn't answered when Rick had texted him the first few days, and so he had given up on the third day.

“Rick?” Shane was all the way in the room now, squatted down beside the bed.

Rick turned to look at him, saw the concern. He didn't want anyone to care. If Daryl didn't, why should anyone else?

“Hey man, you sick?” Shane asked, putting a hand to Rick's forehead.

“Just want to be left alone,” Rick sighed into his pillow, the one hiding Daryl's underwear.

“Girl trouble?” Shane guessed, too close to the mark.

Rick pulled the blanket over his head, he couldn't talk to Shane about this. Daryl'd been right, no one would believe that Rick would want to be with Daryl, Shane least of all.

“Is it that Darla chick? The one you was always texted, but nobody ever saw?” Damn, for a dumb jock, Shane was perceptive.

Rick pulled the blanket down and stared at Shane with a beady, tear swollen eye. He couldn't tell him, could he? Would Shane understand? Rick had only ever been with Daryl, hadn't looked at any other girls or boys. Shane had a new girl every month it seemed.

“Said I was too good, couldn't be with me anymore.” He'd just leave out the pro-nouns.

“Why would she say that?”

“I said 'I love you'.”

“Aww man that's harsh,” Shane consoled Rick.

“Was afraid I'd want somebody new in college, move on without hi...her,” Rick had to be more careful, Shane was showing a new found ability to be perceptive.

“Wouldn't be the first time a guy went off to college and forgot about the girl back home.”

“I wouldn't! Dar....Darla's all I think about,” Rick was adamant.

“I don't know man, seems fishy if she runs the first time things get deep,” Shane shook his head.

“You don't know what you're talking about. You've never been in love. I gotta take a piss.” With that, Rick got up and put on his robe to go down the hall to the bathroom.

Shane was sitting on the bed, waiting for Rick to come back, when he saw Rick's phone. Hurrying before Rick got back, Shane looked at Rick's text messages. He saw all the heart breaking unanswered texts, all the 'I'm sorrys'.

Shane couldn't stand to see Rick all broken down like this, he would do whatever it took to fix this. He copied Darla's number into his phone.

Shane: _You broke his heart_

Daryl: _who is this_

Shane:  _Ricks best friend_

Daryl: _well ricks best friend it aint none of ur businss_

Shane: _he's been in bed all week_

Shane: _dont u care?_

Daryl: _He'll find some one else at college he'll like better_

Shane: _no, he only wants you_

Daryl: _he doesnt understand_

Shane: _hes real smart_

Daryl: _it aint none of your business!_

Shane: _Do you love him?_

Shane: _Hey!_

Daryl: _he has a future and I don't_

Shane: _you didnt answer the ?_

Daryl: _I'm letting him go he'll find someone new_

Shane: _you love him why wont you admit it_

Daryl: _I just told you I was letting him go_

Daryl: _he'll get over it and find a pretty cheerleader_

Shane: _never seen him like this_

Daryl: _he'll move on_

Daryl: _stop texting me_

Shane: _you broke his heart_

***

Senior year is supposed to be the best year of high school, but so far it sucked for Rick and Daryl.

They had homeroom together, fifteen minutes at the beginning of the day where Rick would try to catch Daryl's eye and Daryl would look anywhere but at Rick.

Daryl only went to school half a day, leaving early for work study. He was working in a garage on the other side of the industrial park and, when they weren't busy, the owner was letting him fix up an old pickup truck that was saved from the junk yard. When he wasn't doing that, he was learning how to fix all kinds of cars with all kinds of problems and even getting paid.

Rick was taking an extra math class since he'd somehow missed having one sophomore year. He'd tried to stay home when he wasn't at school, but Shane would come over and drag him out of bed and take him to DQ or to the school's football game. And Shane introduced him to every fucking girl on the varsity and junior varsity cheer leading squad. When that didn't work, Shane started on the flag girls.

Rick had gotten voted 'Prettiest Eyes', so he had to go to the park with all the other seniors who got voted into the senior superlatives. Shane got 'Most Athletic', he did play baseball and football, and sat on the bench for basketball. And fuck, Daryl was there. He didn't have the nerve to ask what he'd gotten, but Shane did.

“Said he got voted 'Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypses'.” Shane thought that was pretty funny, Rick thought it was pretty accurate.

Rick tried not to stare, but they had let Daryl bring his crossbow and just  _holding_  it made his biceps bulge. Rick had to swallow down his moan watching Daryl walk around with that thing, it was fucking sinful. Made him remember that last day together, when Daryl was above him and Rick's legs were hooked around those strong arms.

And Lori was there, trying to talk to him. She'd gotten 'Best Hair', Rick thought maybe she just had a lot of it.

He tried to be polite and listen to what she said, but she kept speaking in this silly little voice that was hard to understand, so Rick had to look at her to hear what she was saying. Something about liking a guy in uniform, Rick hoped she didn't mean a baseball uniform.

When he looked back to where he'd seen Daryl last, he was gone. And then they called Rick to get his picture taken. Since he had 'Prettiest Eyes' they were going to do a close up. The photographer asked him to smile, but he just couldn't do it, he'd had nothing to smile about since Daryl had left. The photographer took several photos and told dumb jokes, trying to tease a smile out of Rick, but Rick just waited patiently for his time to be done so he could leave. And maybe catch another glimpse of Daryl.

He found him smoking behind the slide, looking all bad ass in his biker leathers and his boots, the big plastic tube slide hiding what he was doing from the chaperones.

“Go away, Rick.” He never could sneak up on Daryl.

“I was just hoping we could talk,” Rick ventured.

“Nothin' to talk about,” Daryl squinted at the sun, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

“We don't have to talk about what I said.” Rick didn't care what they talked about, he hadn't heard Daryl's voice in almost two months and he could almost cry from the sound of it now.

“We ain't got nothin' in common,” Daryl still wouldn't look at Rick.

“We're both seniors, we both got senior superlatives, we both hate Mr. Blake,” Rick said, a sad little smile on his face.

“He's a dick,” Daryl agreed, “There. We talked about something, now go back to your cheerleader.”

“Please Daryl, I miss you so much,” Rick tried to hold back his sadness, but it was there in his plea. He thought that talking to Daryl would make him feel better, but Daryl's dismissive attitude was ripping his heart to shreds. “It's so hard to see you every day and not be able to even speak to you.”

“You think this is easy for me?” Daryl spun on his toes to look at Rick, “You think it was ever easy for me? I knew I was on borrowed time. You were always going to be goin' off to college and getting married and stuff, I know that. I knew we was just fooling around until you figured it out. I was just waitin' for the day you told me you got a girlfriend. 'Cause that's what you rich kids do. You can't not do all that because you think you love me.”

“God, Daryl, what do I have to do to prove to you that I ain't gonna do that? I'm never going to do that. I want you. I can't live without you!” Rick was crying, again, for Daryl. How many more tears would he have to shed before Daryl would come back to him?

“You can, you will. I'm not what you need, you need a girl to marry and have babies with so you can be one of those happy families,” Daryl said looking towards the trees at the edge of the park. He cocked his head to the side as one of the chaperones called his name to get his picture taken.

“I don't need all that. I need you! Why can't you just love me back?” Rick's pitiful voice making Daryl clench his jaw.

Stepping close to Rick, Daryl took Rick's tear streaked face in his hands, “I do love you. I love you too much, but you weren't ever supposed to love me back. Thought we would never be more than a couple a guys that fooled around. I ain't ever gonna be anybody, but you will. I have to let you go so you can go be somebody.”

He then tilted his head and pulled Rick to him, kissing him slow and soft.

“I ain't ever gonna love anybody like I love you,” Daryl said, then turned and ran to where the chaperone was calling for him.

Shane found Rick later, curled up in a ball and laying in the spot that Daryl'd been standing in before he'd shattered Rick. Shane had picked Rick up and taken him home, cursing Darla the whole way there.

When the yearbooks were distributed that year all anyone could comment on was how very melancholy Rick looked in his superlatives photo and how fiercely angry Daryl looked in his.

Shane eventually gave up on getting Rick a girlfriend, or even a date. And Rick settled into a routine that got him through the day: school, home, sleep, repeat. He was pretty sure he lost a few pounds too, enough to make his mom worry. Shane was still able to guilt Rick into going to the football games, and then drug him to whichever of the football players was having a party after the game, where he'd sit in a corner and try to avoid all the girls that desperately wanted to fix the heart sick boy and make him theirs.

Most nights Rick would lie in bed at night and relive their conversation by the slide. In his version Daryl wouldn't leave after he told Rick he loved him. And the kiss would go on and on, and they would make love right there under the slide. He didn't cry himself to sleep anymore, Daryl had said he loved him, so he couldn't cry over that. But he still missed him, missed his scruffy look, missed his slow burning kisses, missed looking into his eyes and reading his soul. Maybe Rick had seen in Daryl's soul that Daryl loved him, maybe that's why it was so hard to believe that Daryl could walk away.

***

Merle kept a close eye on Daryl over the next few weeks, making sure he didn't run off for a rondevu in the woods with his little cock sucking buddy. Daryl didn't. He would go to school, go to work at the garage, and come home and go straight to his room. He was coming home late enough that their dad was already out drinking with his buddies, or whatever else he could get up to, and gone before the old man was up. Merle wouldna' seen him much either, except he had nowhere to go and nothing to do. Couldn't get caught out drinking, 'cause of his parole, and couldn't get much of a job because of his arrest record.  

So he was there when Daryl came home from his field trip to get his picture taken with all the rich kids. Merle was back in the toilet, having some 'office' time when he felt the whole trailer rock with the force of Daryl slamming the front door. It shook again when Daryl got to his room. Merle finished up and figured he'd go and have a word with his brother about disturbin' the peace.

Merle didn't bother flushing or washing his hands (waste of water) when he left the bathroom. He was just about to bang on the drama queen's door when he heard Daryl talking.

"I'm sorry Rick, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Daryl was actually crying, his apologies interrupted with sobs and hiccups, "I can't, I can't do it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Merle shook his head, he was gonna have to beat this pansy ass shit out of his baby brother. He blamed their mother. If she hadn't gone and gotten herself burnt up, Daryl wouldn't have been surrounded by just the virile Dixon men. Would have seen what a man and a woman were supposed to be.  

Merle burst into Daryl's room, intent on having it out with his brother about all this fag shit. Daryl was laying across his bed, arm across his eyes, blubbering into his elbow, his other arm across his stomach as though he were in pain.  

The older Dixon boy paused, Daryl hadn't even fussed this much when their mama had died, "The fuck you doing in here crying like a bitch?"

"Go away Merle," Daryl didn't even bother trying to hide his emotions.

"Ain't gonna happen baby brother. Tell me why you're in here crying over some fucking fag after you done told me he was nothing to ya?"

Daryl rolled over towards the wall, not wanting to look at Merle, "I don't want to talk about it, Merle."

"Damn it Daryl, I ain't gonna have my baby brother crying after some fairy! You gotta stop this shit and man the fuck up."

Daryl curled into himself and wrapped an arm over his ears to block Merle out.

Merle wasn't having it, he jerked hard enough on Daryl's arm that he fell off the bed. But Daryl didn't stay down long, jumping to his feet and stalking towards Merle.

"I told him again today, all right Merle! I ain't gonna be that way with him. I'm done! He's a rich kid, Merle, he's used to getting what he wants. He'll learn, now leave me the fuck alone." Daryl pointed out his bedroom door in a vain attempt to get his brother to leave.

"Running that damn homo off shouldn't be makin' ya cry like a little girly boy!" Merle wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Can you just stop? 'M trying all right?" Daryl gave up on getting his brother to leave.

"Why don't I just go ahead and have a talk with this knob jockey, tell him to back off. It'll be worth the 90 days to get you to stop whining and sniveling."

"You don't even know who he is Merle," Daryl scoffed at him.

"His name's Rick, right? He hangs around in the woods out back here?  I'll find 'em," Merle said with a nod of his head.

"Rick's not his real name, and he don't walk through the woods anymore, he drives a car." Daryl said, dismissing Merle's plan. He hoped Merle would believe the lie about Rick's name, he'd thought of the name change because Rick had told him long ago that he wasn't in Rick's phone under 'Daryl'.

Merle glared at Daryl, waiting for him to give up the lie. But Daryl just glared right back, there was no way in hell he would let Merle harass Rick. The whole reason he'd broken it off was to protect Rick. And he would fight his brother tooth and nail if he had to just to keep Rick, his Rick, safe. 

"I'll take you out with me next weekend, see if I can get one of the bar flies to find you some teenage pussy to take your mind off that cock sucker 'a yours."

"You ain't allowed in any bars Merle, and I don't need you to get me any pussy. I do fine on my own, you know that."

"That little girl from the farm we worked last summer don't count, she was barely out of diapers. Now her sister was a fine piece 'a tail." Merle said with a lascivious grin.

"She's already got a boyfriend and you know it," Daryl shook his head at his brother.

"Just some damn China man. Probably just to piss off her poor old daddy."

"Merle, I got this. Now, let me go, I gotta get to work." Daryl was finally able to push past his brother, praying the whole time he wouldn't follow through on his threat to Rick.

***

The old oak tree fell over in a storm late that fall. It had been dead for years, from before it was their spot to meet. Rick had taken a handsaw and cut out a piece of the wood that had arrow holes from where Daryl had shown him how to shoot the crossbow. He took it home and put it on his dresser, now he finally had a memento of their time together.

The week before Thanksgiving had Rick in a terrible mood, he dreaded going to his aunt's house for the day. His uncle was an ass who always tried to one up Rick's dad, and his cousins were always trying to start a fight with him. His parents always ended up pissed by the time they could leave.

Maybe that's why when he followed Daryl out of homeroom that day, he walked behind him and knocked his shoulder into Daryl's.

“What the hell you doing?” Daryl challenged.

Rick knew Daryl would stand his ground, Rick wanted him to. Wanted to fight, wanted to confront Daryl, wanted something from him, even if it was anger.

“You bumped into me, jack ass,” Rick taunted him.

“You best go on 'fore I have to kick your ass right here in front of your adoring public,” Daryl looked out at the crowd that was quickly gathering.

“I'd like to see you try,” Rick sneered at him.

Daryl actually turned to walk away, scoffing at Rick, but Rick couldn't let him do that. He grabbed Daryl's scarred up shoulder, knowing it was sensitive, jerking him back into the circle the other students had made in anticipation of a fight.

Daryl dropped his backpack and turned to Rick, his eyes showing his pain, from his body and his heart. Rick would feel like the worst kind of ass later, but right now he just wanted some kind of reaction out of Daryl.

He swung at Daryl and missed, Daryl having a lot of experience dodging punches. Daryl swung at Rick, and later, while Rick was thinking himself an ass, he would think that Daryl hadn't put too much into that punch.

Rick swung again and this time made contact with Daryl's jaw. Daryl just shook it off, and got Rick with a surprise left. Rick's jaw was left hurting and stumbled back to find himself being caught by Shane.

“What the hell man? This redneck start something with you?” Shane asked him.

“Fuck off Shane,” Rick grunted, jerking himself out of Shane's arms.

“Man, I got your back,” Shane offered.

“Go away Shane, ain't your fight,” Rick said turning back to Daryl.

“Whatever dude, it's your funeral,” Shane ceded.

Daryl had tried to walk away again, picking up his backpack and looking for a way out of the crowd that had gathered around them, but Rick couldn't let that happen. He charged Daryl and knocked him to the ground, the two of them then rolling around and trading punches.

“What is going on here?”

It was Mr. Blake, the dick.

He hauled Rick off of Daryl and gave him a none too gentle shake. Daryl got to his feet on his own, looking at Rick with a resigned expression.

“Let's go boys.”

It wasn't a silent walk to the principal's office, no they had to listen to Mr. Blake drone on, "You know boys, we work real hard to keep this school safe for all you kids and when ya'll decide to break the rules and cause a ruckus it makes us all look bad.

"Now I understand ya'll got your hormones raging and ya wanna fight, but this ain't the place for it. Daryl, I know that trailer park you live in is a rough place and ya'll fight there all the time. Hell, I bet the cops been called to your house more than once 'cause of your brother. But, like I said, this ain't the place for it.

"And Rick, I can't believe you'd let yourself get caught up in this type of behavior. You're smarter than that. 'Specially since you're the captain of the baseball team and probably gonna get voted prom king with you being Mr. Popular and all. Don't see it myself, but I ain't a hormonal teenager. Kinda expect it out a Daryl though, surprised he ain't been here yet."

By the time they got to the principal's office, Rick felt like shit for giving Mr. Blake a reason to put Daryl down. He'd never thought less of Daryl for where he came from and actually thought Daryl did a great job of rising above his background. But of course Mr. Blake, being the dick that he was, chose to focus on the challenges in Daryl's life like they were all that defined him. 

They were seated outside the principal's office and Rick was the one that wouldn't look this time. He could feel Daryl burning a hole into the back of his head, but he wouldn't look. He might start crying again over his sense of loss and his broken heart. Because just being this close to him was making Rick shake and sweat.

“Why'd you do that man?” Daryl finally asked.

“I don't know,” Rick replied truthfully, looking at the contrast between his own new shoes and Daryl's shoes he'd had for the last two years.

“You're an asshole, you know that. This is going to come down on me, not you, Mr. Jock.”

Rick did know that, knew that Mr. Coleman, the principal, would look the other way for Rick, but not Daryl. Daryl had explained it to him once during one of their times in the woods, back in freshman year. Daryl and kids like Daryl tried real hard to stay out of trouble because they didn't have a safety net of coaches, rich parents, or school administrators on their side. So when they did get in trouble, they got the full punishment.

And Daryl would be in more trouble when he got home. Fuck. He'd just sentenced Daryl to a beating if his dad found out.

Rick hung his head in shame, he'd truly screwed up this time. Daryl would never forgive him for this. He knew Daryl purposefully maintained a low profile so as not to draw attention and make himself a target for bullies or school administrators who had issues with misfits like Daryl.

“Gentlemen! Come into my office,” Mr. Coleman called from inside his office after Mr. Blake left. Mr. Coleman was as old as dirt, maintained strict discipline, and was an unforgiving jerk, he was the original dick. Mr. Blake was still in training.

“Tell me what happened Mr. Grimes,” he prompted.

“I started a fight with Daryl,” Rick told him truthfully.

Mr. Coleman looked at Daryl, took in his tattered jeans, leather jacket, and longish hair.

“You sure it wasn't the other way 'round?”

Rick looked up quickly at the principal, “Yes. Daryl was just walking down the hall and I bumped into him and...”

“So you accidentally bumped into Mr. Dixon and then that's when the fight started?”

Daryl sighed and slunk down in his chair.

“Sit up straight, Dixon!” Mr. Coleman hollered at Daryl.

Rick looked over to Daryl and got the side eye for his trouble. Daryl was going to beat his ass for real when they got out of here.

“Mr. Grimes, Rick, I can't let this slide. Mr. Blake said there was a hall full of witnesses that said you were throwing punches too. You should have just walked away.”

“ _I_  threw the first punch,  _I_  started it!” Rick insisted.

“Mr. Blake already told me that Mr. Dixon said something rude to provoke you. You don't need to take the fall for this. Mr. Dixon knows the rules all too well.”

“Yeah, don't fight with the popular kid, even if he starts it,” Daryl said with an eye roll.

“Dixon, you can spend another day in suspension if you don't loose the attitude.”

Rick was disgusted, with the principal, with the system that allowed this favoritism, but mostly with himself for causing Daryl to get in trouble. He hoped Daryl would forgive him, even if Daryl never talked to him again.

“Three day suspension for both of you, starting today. We'll count this as a full day since it's only just now second period. I've already called your folks Rick. Daryl, I'll have to send a letter since your phone is disconnected.” Mr. Coleman laid out his judgment.

Rick was sure he'd been painted as the victim to his parents and wouldn't get in any trouble. But he worried about Daryl, he didn't think he would be able to live with himself if Daryl got beat up again.

Just the thought of it, of Daryl receiving more scars because of him, made him sick to his stomach.

“Normally, I would have your parents come and pick you up, but I trust you will go on home Rick, and I'm sure your father won't be able to make it,” Mr. Coleman used air quotes around the 'make it' as he looked at Daryl. The dick.

“Go on home, Rick. I'll have Daryl wait five minutes before he can leave so there won't be any retribution.”

Make that super dick.

Rick looked at Daryl again, and catching his eye, conveyed his apology with his eyes. Daryl gave him a barely perceptible nod, and Rick almost shouted with joy. It was the first bit of positive interaction they'd had since, well since that day. The one that had been perfect, until he'd screwed it up by telling Daryl that he loved him.

He hurried out of the principal's office and jumped into his Jeep, planning on just driving down the road until he was out of sight of the school and then wait for Daryl. It wasn't the best plan, but it was all he had, and it was better than starting a fight in school.

He watched in his rear view mirror until he saw Daryl amble down the road. Daryl was watching his feet, not looking up, so he didn't notice Rick's Jeep until he was just a few feet away. Daryl shook his head and turned around, going back the way he came.

Rick couldn't let that happen, he jumped out of his Jeep and ran to Daryl, grabbing onto the surplus Army backpack that Daryl used.

“The fuck, Grimes? You know I was holding back at school, I ain't gonna out here on the road,” Daryl yelled at Rick.

“I don't wanna fight. I want to apologize. Let me take you home so you don't have to walk. If your dad's home, I can tell him it's my fault,” Rick pleaded.

Daryl snorted, “I ain't gonna get in trouble for this. My dad'll pat me on the back for beating up a rich kid.”

“Oh,” was all Rick could say to that. “Can I give you a ride anyway? The Jeep's been making a funny noise and maybe you could tell me what it is?”

Daryl squinted his eyes at Rick and looked over at the Jeep, “What kind of noise?”

Rick panicked a little because the Jeep wasn't making any kind of noise, but he knew that Daryl would be concerned after all the time he'd put into fixing it up for Rick.

“It's a...making a squeaking noise.”

“Where's it coming from?” Daryl asked walking toward the Jeep.

“Um, that's the thing,” Rick fake laughed, “I can't figure out where it's coming from and it doesn't happen all the time. Usually when I don't have time to check it out.”

“Hmm,” Daryl was walking around the Jeep, shaking it every once in a while, trying to pinpoint the source of the squeak.

“Mostly does it while I'm driving,” Rick said helpfully.

Daryl looked back at Rick with that squinty eyed look, “You sure you're not just trying to get me in your car, Rick?”

Rick looked away from Daryl. He sucked at lying, especially to Daryl.

“Would you be mad if I was?”

“Nah, just disappointed,” Daryl said with mock severity.

And then they were both laughing, because that's what Mr. Blake, the dick in training, would say.

Daryl must have had nothing else to do that day because he got in the Jeep with Rick. They went to Rick's house and Rick tempted Daryl in with promises of chocolate chip cookies. And maybe it was because of the cookies, or being back in the place where they had been together so often in the past, or maybe because Daryl missed Rick too, but they ended up back in Rick's bedroom. Rick was already shirtless and was working on getting Daryl's off as they made out there in the bed.

“Fucking shit, Rick. You're fucking seducin' me,” Daryl said between kisses.

Rick wouldn't deny it, or stop what he was doing to explain himself. He wanted to keep Daryl there forever. Rick had his pants off now and had gotten Daryl's shirt off, running his hands all over Daryl, kissing him as hotly as he could, trying so hard to convince him that this was right and not a mistake or that he wasn't good enough for Rick.

And Rick wouldn't feel sorry, wouldn't regret having Daryl in his bed again because he knew Daryl wanted him as much as Rick wanted Daryl. He might be able to pretend better, but Rick knew. He could tell by the way Daryl was kissing him now, by the way Daryl's hands were all over Rick's body, on his chest, down his underwear, holding him.

“Damn straight,” Rick confessed, boldly putting his hand down Daryl's pants. Yeah, based on the firmness Rick found there, Daryl wanted him.

“I oughta kick your ass,” Daryl growled at him.

Rick mmhmmed at the thought of kinky sex with Daryl. He still had the handcuffs in the nightstand.

“You'd like that, wouldn't you?” Daryl said, pushing Rick's hands off of him and up and over their heads.

“Want me to bust your ass for you? Shine your ass up real good?” Daryl whispered into Rick's ear between kisses, “Where's those handcuffs?”

“In the drawer, with the lube,” Rick grabbed the head board and spread his legs, he'd been craving this for four long months.

Daryl found the lube and the cuffs, putting them both on the bed next to Rick's needy body. Daryl noticed the way Rick was spread out before him, like that day back in July, he blinked at Rick and seemed to falter.

“Rick...”

“Oh, god please, Daryl, please. I want you so much...please.” Rick's eyes begged Daryl as much as his mouth, his head tossed back and forth on the pillow, hands clutching the head board painfully.

Daryl licked his lips, pausing before coming to a decision, his eyes narrowed again, “I think you need to learn a little lesson about startin' fights.”

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Rick couldn't contain the neediness of his voice, damn if he sounded like one of those stupid porn videos he'd watched over the summer.

Daryl reached down to Rick's underwear and grabbing both sides of the Y opening in the front and ripped it apart.

Rick gasped, his heart giving a little jump, Daryl was getting into this more than he expected.

Daryl tugged and ripped at Rick's underwear until he got them off Rick, they'd either be trash after this, or a memento of their last time together. Rick hoped it would be the former, but he was going to take what he could get at the moment.

Daryl's eyes raked over Rick's now nude body, taking in the hard muscles and fading tan from summer. He looked a lot different from that boy he'd found in the woods nearly four years ago, more like a man. He had hair in all the right places, something he hadn't taken the time to notice the last time he held this sight, and his thighs were thicker, most likely from all that running he did as a jock, and damn he was just  _perfect._

“Roll over and get on your knees,” Daryl instructed him, “No keep your hands on the head board.”

Rick complied, having to readjust so that he could hold onto the head board and stay on his knees. Daryl worked the hand cuffs through the head board before putting them on Rick.

Breathing into Rick's ear Daryl said, ”Tell me to stop if you need me to.”

“No, don't stop. I'll tell you if I don't want it, but don't stop now, please.”

Rick begging him for sex was the hottest thing Daryl Dixon had ever seen in his whole damn life. Maybe that's why he was here now, in bed with Rick, because Rick had begged. And no one begged for a Dixon. But Rick, his Rick, his perfect Rick, he did.

Daryl ran his fingers roughly down Rick's back, making twin sets of lines all the way to Rick's ass, causing the bound boy to hiss through his teeth. When Daryl got to his ass, he squeezed the pale globes harshly, let go and did it again. He then rubbed hard circles into the cheeks, pulling the them apart with the force of it.

“Daryl...” Rick moaned out, so turned on he was loosing control.

“Shut it Grimes, or I'll put a gag in that pretty mouth of yours,” Daryl ordered.

Rick let out a little whimper, he'd never thought about being gagged before, but the thought was enough to make him start listing the periodic table in hopes Daryl would go through with his threat.

“You are a kinky fuck,” Daryl told the wanton boy, “You want me to gag you?”

“If, if you want,” Rick licked his lips, hoping Daryl wanted.

“But then I won't be able to hear you beg.”

“Please Daryl,” Rick said as pathetically as he could.

Daryl picked up the torn and discarded underwear that he had pulled off Rick and crawled up to Rick's face. He pulled the face to him roughly and kissed him hard, using tongue and teeth to make Rick moan again. He leaned back and pulling Rick's mouth open, stuffed in the ruined underwear.

“Hope those were clean underwear,” He smirked at his lover.

He then looked Rick in the eye, “If you want me to stop, kick me or something, ok?”

Rick nodded his head frantically, he didn't want Daryl to stop, he never wanted Daryl to stop.

Daryl slid back around to Rick's ass, and unable to contain himself, he ground his hips into Rick's. He still had his jeans on, but he was hard and heavy and the friction helped to relieve some of the growing tension.

Rick moaned through his make shift gag and pushed back into Daryl's grinding hips.

“You're gonna get a swat for each day of suspension, mine and yours, so that's six,” Daryl informed him.

Rick nodded his head enthusiastically. This was going better than he'd hoped.

_Smack!_

Rick jerked away from the strike hitting his head on the head board, not expecting the sting, having never really been spanked before.

Daryl noticed and asked, “Do you want me to stop?”

Rick shook his head vigorously, no way did he want Daryl to stop.

 _Smack!_  On the other cheek this time.

Rick did a better job of not flinching for the second strike, but by the time Daryl was done administering Rick's punishment, his ass was on fire.

“I think I could look at your ass all red like this all day,” Daryl proclaimed.

Rick hoped to god he didn't, because he was so turned on right now he could blow at a feather's touch, and he really wanted to come.

Rick could feel Daryl moving around behind him and then heard the pop of the lid on the lube. Rick clenched his ass in anticipation. Daryl cruelly poured a line of it in the crack of Rick's ass, the cold liquid a sharp contrast to the heat he was feeling from his spanking.

And then he felt Daryl's finger rubbing small circles around his hole, spreading the lube. Rick tried to push back to get that finger in there, but of course Daryl wouldn't let him.

“Greedy bastard. Gotta learn some patience,” Daryl admonished him.

If Daryl could have seen Rick's face he would see that he was pouting, but he couldn't, which was a shame, because he would have caved in like an abandoned mine.

Daryl finally worked the finger he was teasing Rick with in slowly. It took everything Rick had not to rock on just that one finger, but he persevered. Daryl then worked in a second finger, and that was awesome, but Rick wanted more. He didn't push back, but he did wiggle, hoping to get those fingers moving around to stretch him faster.

“Rick...” Daryl said menacingly.

Rick sighed and dropped his forehead forward on to the head board. He should have figured Daryl was going to torture him. He really deserved it though after starting a fight. But he loved it, of course, and he was sure Daryl knew it too.

Daryl starting moving those two fingers in an ever widening circle, working Rick open a little at a time.

He added a third finger once the grip from Rick's ass on his two fingers lessened. He worked the three fingers the same as he had the two, in bigger and bigger circles, until he felt Rick's hole relaxing for him.

He pulled his fingers out and took a minute to enjoy the view of Rick's red ass and stretched hole, rubbing his dick through his pants at the sight.

“You ready?”

Rick looked over his shoulder at Daryl balefully, he'd been ready forever already.

“Watch the attitude Grimes, or you're gonna get more punishment,” Daryl said in imitation of the principal's warning to Daryl from earlier.

Daryl crawled off the bed to take his pants off, and smacked Rick on the ass one more time just for looking so damn sexy. He paused a minute to take in the whole picture, not sure if he would ever see this vision again.

Rick's hands gripping the head board he was cuffed to, his hair and face a mess, the marks from Daryl's fingers still streaking down his back, and oh, that red, red ass. Daryl could make out a couple of hand prints too and that was hot as fucking hell.

He got into position behind Rick and lubed up his cock and then poured more into Rick's waiting hole just to see it slide in there. He wasn't sure, but he thought it winked at him. He eased himself in, using one hand to guide him, and the other on Rick's back, holding him steady.

Rick arched his back as Daryl pushed in, holding his breath at the slight burn. Daryl pushed all the way in all at once, instead of the slow inch by inch of the last time. Rick was panting hard by the time he felt Daryl's balls on his warm ass, his tight grip on the head board making the wood squeak.

“You are fuckin' beautiful Rick,” Daryl abandoned their game to tell Rick.

Rick started nodding his head in a static motion, overcome with his sensory overload. He wouldn't last long, not with all their play and then the feel of Daryl behind him. Last time he'd come without a touch to his cock, the excitement of their first time and the sight of Daryl over him was enough, and he might be able to this time as well from all the attention he'd already gotten.

His cock was throbbing in time to his rapid heart beat and leaking a terrible mess all over his bed, next time he'd be sure to put down a towel, but he sure didn't care right now, he'd never in his life ever felt this good.

Daryl was rubbing his back, willing him to relax, “Ready baby?”

Rick's heart swelled a little, Daryl only called him baby when they were having sex. He'd have to get him to do that again, especially since he only gotten to hear it about twice now.

He pushed back on Daryl's dick to let him know he was more than ready, he was dying a slow death on the edge of heaven waiting for Daryl to get moving.

Daryl smacked and already red cheek lightly, “Greedy fucker.”

He pulled out slowly, taking his sweet ass time, pausing when he got almost all the way out, before slamming back in. Rick's head hit the head board once again because he wasn't expecting that, but he didn't even feel it hit, the dick in his ass over riding every other sensation.

Daryl continued like that, slow pull out, hard slam in, until Rick tried to get him to change to fast in, fast out, by rocking his hips out of rhythm with Daryl's thrusts.

“Do you want me to stop?”

Rick looked over his shoulder, eyes wide, shaking his head. For the love of all that is holy, Daryl better not fucking stop.

“Then behave. You're being punished, remember?”

Rick nodded, but tried to plead his case with his eyes, surely Daryl could see he needed more.

Daryl could see that, and Daryl needed more too, so he picked up the pace like the greedy bastard wanted. He had ahold of Rick by his ass, and experimented with pulling the cheeks apart so he could get a better view of his dick going in and out of Rick. He paused at one point (Rick whimpering the whole time) to add more lube. The image of the lube dripping out of Rick's hole while Daryl fucked him hard was going straight into the spank bank.

Daryl could feel he was getting close, so he reached around and grabbed Rick's hard member. It didn't need any lube, it was making a steady stream of pre-cum. Daryl pulled once, twice and then Rick was gone, howling into the his gag, arching his back, squeezing his inner muscles.

Daryl came two strokes after, losing sight and sound for the duration. When he came back to reality, he draped himself over Rick's body, arms going around his lover's neck to pull him back to kiss his cheek and pull out the gag.

“What the fuck!” was all Daryl heard before he felt himself fly through the air and land painfully against Rick's dresser. He looked up to see Shane standing above him, full of rage at what must have been a jarring sight for him.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing Dixon?” Shane cursed.

But he didn't give Daryl a chance to answer, just started hitting Daryl.

Daryl tried to defend himself, but he was naked and just a few seconds post orgasm and he wasn't quite with it yet.

It was a good thing those hand cuffs weren't the real deal, or Rick wouldn't have been able to get free and come to Daryl's rescue.

“Shane! Stop! Stop!” He cried as he pulled the dark haired boy away from Daryl.

“He's raping you! I'm going to kill him.” Shane's face was a mask of anger, red as a fire engine.

“He wasn't! Stop!” Rick gave up trying to pull Shane back, so he threw himself on Daryl, protecting him from Shane with his own body.

“What are you doing? Why are you protecting him?” Shane demanded, finally stopping his assault.

“Because I love him!” Rick shouted at Shane.

Shane stumbled back and looked at the two naked boys lying on the floor. Rick clearly distraught, holding on to Daryl tightly, Daryl still in a haze, curled around his stomach where he had taken most of Shane's blows.

He took a minute to process, and then standing up from the bed he had found himself on, he pulled the blanket off and tossed it onto his best friend and the boy he clearly loved.

“Why didn't you say so?” Shane questioned.

Rick looked up from Daryl who was starting to come around, “What?”

“Why didn't you ever tell me? What happened to Darla?”

“Darla?” Daryl asked Rick harshly.

“Daryl is Darla.”

“What?” Daryl and Shane asked at the same time.

By this time, Daryl had pushed himself up to a sitting position and covered himself with the blanket. His pants were under Shane's big ass foot and he needed another minute before he could challenge the jock to get them back.

“Let me put some pants on and I'll explain,” Rick said, standing up, blushing as he realized Shane could see the evidence of his spanking.

He pulled a pair of pajama bottoms out of his dresser and got another pair for Daryl. Daryl took them and put them on under the blanket.

“I need a glass of water. Let's go down to the kitchen.” He led the other two boys out of his room and down the steps.

The other two didn't want a drink when he offered, but Daryl took a cookie, never wanting to turn down free food. They were all three sitting around the kitchen island (Rick a little more gingerly) when Rick finally worked up the courage to speak.

“Daryl and I have been seeing each other since freshman year,” Rick told Shane.

“I told Shane you were a girl from another school named Darla,” he told Daryl.

“Why the hell did you start a fight with him today?”

“That's a damn good question,” Daryl agreed.

“You knew that I had broken up with him, except you thought it was Darla, and what a mess I've been. I couldn't get him to talk to me or look at me and I couldn't take it any more. I figured any attention was better than nothing.” Rick looked down at the counter top, not able to look at either of the two sitting across from him.

“Why didn't you tell me, you know I got your back. I would'a made him see sense,” Shane told Rick, earning a Dixon side eye for the comment.

“What? I thought you would be disgusted and hate me,” Rick confessed.

“Don't you pay attention when you come to my house? My uncle is gay, and he brings his boyfriend for every holiday and get together. And I know you've met them both,” Shane explained.

Rick closed his eyes and thought back to the last time he went to one of Shane's family get togethers. He remembered seeing the two, but hadn't asked about them.

“He's my favorite uncle, remember?” Shane prompted Rick.

“But you never said anything,” Rick protested.

“Nothing to say. It doesn't matter to me who he sleeps with, as long as he can talk baseball and football with me.”

“Oh,” Rick was at a loss for words, again.

“What did Darla look like?” Daryl asked Rick.

But Shane answered, “Perfect body, perfect smile, funny as hell and tough as nails.”

“That what you think of me?”

“Yeah,” Rick looked Daryl in the eye, “You're perfect to me.”

“Don't I know it! Damn, if I had to hear one more time about how he wanted to bang you...”

“Shut the fuck up, Shane!” Rick did not want Daryl to know he'd talked to Shane about them, even if Shane thought he was a she.

“I guess you found out he likes it rough too?” Daryl asked Shane, a wicked gleam in his eye.

“The fuck, Daryl?” Rick's face was red to match his ass now, and Daryl loved it, making Rick squirm.

Daryl and Shane laughed together at Rick's betrayed expression.

“Ya'll ain't a bit funny,” Rick pouted.

“Nah, you're the funny one,” Daryl dead panned, causing him and Shane to bust out laughing again.

“Well, glad I could entertain ya,” Rick was still pouting.

Daryl looked at Shane, “So you don't mind?”

“Nope, I am pissed that you broke his heart thought,” Shane replied.

“Yeah,” Daryl bit the side of his thumb and looked away. He remembered he wasn't supposed to be here anymore, he'd steeled his heart to leave Rick so he could go be a somebody.

“Damn it Shane,” Rick scolded him.

“Sorry Rick,” Shane apologized. Turning to Daryl he said, “You ain't gonna hold him back, you keep him going. He can't function right without you. I had to haul his sorry ass out of bed everyday for a month after you broke up. He loves you and I think you love him too.”

“I don't want his life screwed up because people think he's gay,” Daryl whispered.

“Daryl, I don't care what other people think,” Rick scolded him, “And I am gay.”

“You say that now, but what about when you're in the locker room and them jocks start giving you a hard time about it?” Daryl couldn't look at the two of them. He got up and started pacing around the kitchen, his anxiety about Rick's future back full force.

“Don't you watch the news? The supreme court just passed a law for gay marriage,” Shane held out his arms in question.

“That doesn't matter! I don't want him to get hurt! I don't want anyone to hate him because of me,” Daryl asserted.

“You're trying to protect him,” Shane surmised.

Daryl threw up his hands, “Yes!”

“Why, Daryl? I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself,” Rick asked.

“I've always protected you, ever since I found you lost in the woods like some damn fairy tale.”

“Every since then?” Rick couldn't believe that.

“I'll always protect you, I love you, I have since I walked you home that day,” Daryl revealed to the two shocked boys.

Rick got up and walked to Daryl, pulling him into his arms, “I've loved you since then too.”

They both startled as they heard Shane make retching noises behind them, “I'm gonna hurl with all this lovey dovey stuff.”

“You're just mad because you ain't getting none,” Daryl taunted the other boy.

“Ain't getting none? Boy, you don't know what you're talking about,” Shane dissented.

“Maybe, but you'll never have as good as this,” Daryl said as he looked into Rick's eyes.

Rick was looking back at Daryl, reading Daryl's soul like he had that day four years earlier. He could see the same sort of surprised look of love today as then.

Shane resigned himself to having to watch them kiss now and probably a lot more in the future too.

***

Merle opened the letter from the school that was addressed to the old man. He was sure their dad didn't need to see what was inside the envelope.

_Mr. Dixon,_

_This letter is to inform you that your student, Daryl Dixon, has been suspended for three days for fighting with another student. By all accounts, Daryl started the fight unprovoked. The other student merely bumped into Daryl accidentally as they were walking in the hall after homeroom._

_Because the fight occurred so early in the day, today will be counted as the first day of the suspension. Daryl may return to school on Tuesday after the holiday. As I'm sure you are aware, all classwork for the suspended days will result in zeros._

_If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the school._

_Michael Coleman_

_Principal_

Merle laughed and wadded up the letter, their dad wouldn't care that Daryl got into a fight, but it would be fun to watch Daryl sweat it out waiting for the letter.

As it turned out, Daryl wasn't concerned at all about the letter. Not even checking at the mailboxes for it to arrive. Merle thought he would be home moping all day too, but he was gone most of everyday, coming home just to shower and sleep as far as Merle could tell.

He was in a far better mood as well, no more crying and fussing over a damn pillow biter.  

"What's her name?" he asked Daryl as he caught him before going to bed.

"What?" Daryl looked at his brother, perplexed.

"What's the broad's name your seeing?" Merle tried again, taking another sip of beer, his fifth.

"Ain't seeing nobody." Daryl turned back to his bedroom, intent on leaving this conversation.

"Then why you so happy all the sudden?" Merle didn't hear that his words were slurred, but Daryl could.

"Can't I just be in a good mood?" 

"Nah, you was cryin' and boohooin' jus a couple 'a days ago.  Whas changed?" Merle was quickly going from curious to suspicious.

"Dunno? I'm a senior now, going to be done with school soon?" Daryl was nonchalant hoping Merle would be too drunk to push.

"See, baby brother, you can' be lying ta me. You ain't gettin' your pecker sucked by that meat hound again, are ya?" Merle wasn't going to let his brother off the hook that easily.

"Why do you have to be so damn crude?" Daryl sighed.

"Answer the fucking question!" Merle was angry now, he'd been happy his brother was happy, but he couldn't stand the thought of his brother getting caught up in them fairy ways again, "Are you letting that damn fairy suck you off again?"

"No, Merle, I'm fucking him!" Daryl'd had enough. He'd go ahead and have it out with Merle now. He'd be eighteen in a little over a month and then he couldn't give a fuck what Merle or his dad said.

"The hell you say to me boy?" Merle was in Daryl's face again, spit and beer coming out with his angry words.

"Don't act like you care. You ain't even here half the time, either out drugging or in jail from drugging. You got no right to tell me who I can be with!" 

"I'm your big brother, I got all the right to tell you when you're bein' a dumbass." Merle had a finger poking into Daryl's chest to make his point.

Daryl pushed the offending finger away, "You don't. And you really won't once I turn eighteen. I'll be outta here so fast your head will spin."

"You ain't got nowhere to go! You best get your head on straight and start flying right." Merle threatened.

"Or what? You gonna beat my ass? Beat his ass? I'm not a little kid anymore, Merle, I fight back." Daryl stood his ground.

"Don't think I won't! If I have to beat half the damn school, I will. What the fuck you thinkin'? You won' be happy givin' it up to some guy instead of getting pussy." Merle predicted.

"I am happy! Why can't you just be happy for me? Are you afraid I'll embarrass you? Can't be any worse than you two. Dad's the town drunk and you're the town looser." Daryl ducked the punch his brother let fly at his face.

"Boy, you best be watching your damn mouth!" Merle swung again, but Daryl pushed him hard, causing him to fall on his ass.

"I'm going to Rick's, yeah Rick, don't bother trying to follow me or call me, I'm done with you and your bullshit." Daryl changed course, headed for the front door instead of his bedroom.

"If you walk out that door, we're done! I won't have a pansy for a brother!" Merle called after him.

"Suits me fine. Don't want no asshole for a brother anyhow." Daryl slammed the door behind him as he left the trailer.

***

Rick and Daryl had decided to come out, not willing to hide their relationship anymore. And when they went back to school on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, having served their three day suspension, Shane had met them at the door. He was going to escort them to homeroom in a show of support, Shane had already told the football and baseball teams and dared any of them to say anything or give the two a hard time.

They had to pass Mr. Blake's classroom on their way to homeroom. He was standing in the doorway to his classroom and he narrowed his eyes as they approached.  

"What have we got here? You two kiss and make up?" the dick in training was working toward journeyman status.

Rick took Daryl's hand and continued on past Mr. Blake, glaring daggers at the teacher the whole way.  Daryl normally would have been angry with Rick for the PDA, but knew it was Rick's way of telling Mr. Blake to fuck off. He squeezed Rick's hand to let him know he was ok with it.

"Oh, my god!  Are you actually holding hands?  I do believe that would count as inappropriate behavior boys," Mr. Blake said with a little too much joviality. 

Daryl looked pointedly at a boy and girl walking past that were holding hands, "I don't think so."

"Yeah, Daryl, I'm sure that two  _boys_  holding hands would be inappropriate and causing a hostile environment." Mr. Blake was no longer standing in his doorway, having come out into the hall, hands on his hips as he challenged the boys.

"Seems to me, you're the hostile one." Shane walked right up to Mr. Blake, looking the tall man right in the eye.

"You go on now Mr. Walsh, you ain't involved here and I'd hate to have our top jock get into any trouble over these two playing boyfriends."

"I think I am involved, seeing as this is my best friend and captain of my baseball team and his boyfriend," Shane said in a low and dangerous voice.

"Mr. Blake! You know that we've already been down this road," a strong feminine voice called from across the hall.  

Four pairs of male eyes swiveled to see two young women holding hands, they were a study in contrast, one with shoulder length blonde hair, the other with dark nearly waist length dread locks. Even though they were visually worlds apart, Rick and Daryl knew them both to be strong outspoken young women. Mr. Blake had his work cut out for him if he were to take the two on now.

"Now ladies, like I just told Mr. Walsh here, this is not your business," Mr. Blake turned his attention fully to the two.

"Mr. Blake, " the darker of the two, Michonne, said with a wicked smile, "as you know, I am the president of the schools LGBT group and Andrea's mother is our attorney. So, yes, it is our business."

"And, since we already had this discussion last month when you tried that with Michonne and I, you should know your claims of inappropriateness and hostile environment are baseless," the blonde, Andrea said with a hand on her hip.

Mr. Blake narrowed his eyes at the two, weighing his options on taking them on right in the middle of the hallway. But the bell for homeroom rang, sending most of the students scrambling.  

Mr. Blake looked around at the students that stayed for the show, "Ya'll get on to class now."

Rick tugged Daryl's hand, ready to get out of there. Daryl was looking at their new allies, giving them that short nod of acknowledgement that Daryl was wont to do before following Rick to homeroom. 

As they walked to homeroom together, not quite holding hands, they picked up an ever growing entourage. By the time they made it to the classroom, most of the football team was there, and all of the baseball team. They all made sure to greet Daryl and make it clear they had no problems with the relationship the two boys had.

Lori was quick to start trouble for the two. She had wanted Rick for her own, he fit perfect in her plan for her happily ever after. Lori was known to call out nasty things to the boys as she walked by, especially Daryl. She tried to start a rumor that Daryl must have some dirt on Rick, or Rick owed Daryl money. Since the boys had already been accepted by most of the school Lori had a hard time finding allies, but she did because she was cheer captain and the queen bee. So the boys did get harassed at school, but it never went very far as there usually was a baseball or football player or two to bear witness. Daryl would complain to Rick that he could fight his own fights, but Rick would remind him that they were already a target and didn't need to give Mr. Coleman or Mr. Blake and excuse to suspend him again, or worse expel him.

And, for some reason Lori's superlatives picture in the yearbook wasn't the one she'd picked out.  It was the one where she was mid-blink and her mouth was open because she'd been talking to the photographer, she looked high.  Everyone commented on it as much as they did about Rick and Daryl's pictures.  It was probably just a coincidence that Andrea was on the yearbook committee.

Rick had told his parents he was gay, his mother had told him they'd known since he was ten and just waited for him to tell them. They welcomed Daryl into their little family, giving him shelter from the storm that the trailer he lived in could turn into. He finally understood what a real family was and the love that could be there.

Outside of school and home was a different matter. The two never flaunted their relationship, rarely going out in public together. But Christmas was coming up and they wanted to get Rick's parents a nice gift. They were just coming out of the mall (and didn't Daryl throw a fit about going to the damn mall) when they saw Lori and her new boyfriend, the quarterback from their rival school.  

"Look Pete, it's the school fags I was telling you about," Lori said loud enough for all the people in a two county radius to hear.

"Just keep walking," Rick told Daryl, not even looking in their direction.

"Ya'll buy matching panties and bras?" Lori asked them laughing.

Rick's Jeep was parked near the back of the lot due to the holiday shopping and lack of parking. The boys were walking to it with determination, not wanting a confrontation. 

"Hey! Yo! Fag one and fag two! My girlfriend asked you a question!" Pete hollered across the lot. 

Rick held on to Daryl's strong arm as best he could, he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep Daryl moving with words alone. 

"Which one of ya'll plays pussy?" Pete yelled the crude comment, causing Rick to blush.

"I'm gonna kick his ass," Daryl hissed in Rick's ear.

"No, it's what they want. They'll claim self defense or something and just get you in trouble. You know his dad's a doctor, he's untouchable." Rick insisted.

"Hey Rick, aren't you afraid you're gonna get fleas from that redneck boyfriend of yours?" Lori taunted.

They were being followed now, and it seemed Lori and Pete had picked up some friends because there was a loud chorus of laughter. The Jeep was just ahead, two rows over, so very close.

"Hey Dixon! I hear your mom can put on one hell of a barbecue!" 

Rick stopped in his tracks. He could take the insults to him and he knew Daryl could take the gay jokes, but going after his mother was too much.

"Don't Rick," Daryl pleaded.

"I heard how she soaked her meat in alcohol and smoked it!"

Rick did that thing he does when he's really pissed. His eyes took on the thousand mile stare and his head tilted to the side.  It was like watching Dr. Jekyll turn into Mr. Hyde.

 _Shit_ , Rick wouldn't be able to hear Daryl now, no matter what he said. He turned around to the group behind them, "You'd best run."

Lori, having known Rick for many years, knew they'd pushed too far. She tried to pull the tall boy away from the situation.  But he wouldn't budge, thinking since he was bigger than Rick he could easily take him. Plus he was used to people backing down because of his father. So, he just laughed at Lori pulling on his arm.

And since he was looking at Lori and laughing, he didn't see a very pissed off Rick Grimes take him out at the knees. 

Before Pete could figure out what was going on, Rick was straddling him, hands around his neck, face a mask of anger. 

"You will apologize to Daryl and you will get your sorry ass out of here," Rick spit out at the struggling boy beneath him.

Daryl saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Whipping around he saw a couple of goons from the other school, probably football players. Daryl crouched low, ready to take on all of them if he had to. He wasn't scared to take them on, but it would be tough going, and he really wanted to keep an eye on Rick.

"Four against one doesn't seem like good odds boys, but I know my baby brother can take ya." 

Merle, what the fuck was Merle doing at the damn mall?  

"Fuck. Aiden, that's Merle Dixon. I ain't messing with him," one of Pete's group said.

"He's just another redneck. What's he gonna do to you?" Aiden asked.

"He's done time, man. He's in a gang. He'll have his whole gang after us. I'm out."

"Pussy!" Aiden screamed after his retreating friend. 

"How old are you boy?" Merle asked the brave one still left.

"I'll be eighteen in a month," he said smugly.

"Then I'll let Daryl here beat your ass."

Daryl stalked the dark haired ass wipe, watching for sudden movements.

"Aiden! Aiden!" a woman could be heard yelling.

"Shit, that's my mom. I'll get you next time Dixon."

"Doubt it," was all Daryl said.

Now it was just the two Dixon boys and Rick still trying to wring Pete's neck right off his shoulders. The brothers looked at each other and sighed. They would have to try and pry Rick off Pete it seemed.

Daryl came around so that Rick could see him coming, "Rick, let him go. All his buddies done run off. Lori's gone too."

Rick looked up at Daryl, the murderous look still all over his face.

"Come on Captain Friendly, baby brother's gonna get into a snit if'n ya don't let go."

That got Rick's attention. He let go of Pete and stood up and turned to face Merle in one fluid motion. 

Daryl kicked at Pete, "Best get out of here while you can, dumbass."

Pete coughed and rolled to a standing position, he looked like he wanted to stay and fight, but then thought some more and decided to take off.

Daryl moved to where his brother and lover were squaring off. Rick was giving Merle the murderous look now. Daryl knew he had to step in before the two came to blows. He'd always bet on Merle in a fight before now, but Rick was pretty far gone into his rage.

"Rick, this here's my brother Merle," Daryl made the awkward introductions.

"I gathered," Rick dead panned, not looking away from Merle.

"What are you even doing at the mall, Merle? You hate the mall." Daryl asked his brother, trying to distract the two.

"It's Christmas time. I'm here to get presents."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at his brother to show his disbelief.

"Can't be too careful though, gotta lock your doors or someone'll take whatever ya have lying around in your car," Merle explained.

Daryl understood now, but he still needed to diffuse the situation. 

"Rick," Daryl tried to get through to his boyfriend again.

Rick finally turned his head to look at Daryl. He looked a bit calmer, but still dangerously angry. Daryl put his hand on Rick's cheek, knowing this would calm him.

Rick leaned into Daryl's hand and closed his eyes, drawing closer to Daryl as he did so. They were standing close enough that Rick could rest his head against Daryl's broad shoulder.

Daryl looked over Rick's head to his brother, waiting for him to blow up.

"Is this the knob gobbler you was blubbering about before Thanksgiving?" Daryl didn't know where to start with that sentence, the slur against Rick, or Merle outing him about crying over Rick.

Rick lifted his head to stare into Daryl's eyes, "You were crying over me?"

Shooting another squinty eyed glare at his brother, he answered Rick, "You were so damn pathetic at the park when we was getting our pictures taken."

Rick tilted his head (not in the scary way, in the 'you're bullshitting me' way) and stared hard into Daryl's eye in the way he did when he wanted to peek at Daryl's soul. It was damn spooky so Daryl couldn't lie, "Fine. I was crying too. I done told you it was hard on me."

Rick smiled and pulled Daryl in for a rare hug, Daryl hoping to god no one else could see them pawing all over each other in the mall parking lot.

"You really got a hard on for my baby brother,  _Rick_?" 

Rick hrmped, "I wish all I had was a hard on for your baby brother."

Merle looked at the two lovers embracing in the parking lot of a mall in the middle of redneck central Georgia. He'd never understand it, would never want it for himself, but he could see the two definitely had a thing. 

He could see the way that Daryl was looking at Rick, like the sun rose and set in those blue eyes, and knew his brother was happy.  

Shaking his head, Merle said to Rick, "You take care of my brother, or you'll be hearing from me. Ya got that?"

"Yeah," Rick said with a smile, "I got that."

Merle walked away, surreptitiously checking the door handle on the car next to him as he passed. 

Rick finally let go of Daryl and led him to the Jeep.

"Shit! Somebody cut my top," Rick exclaimed, looking at the six inch rip in the canvas top of his Jeep.

Daryl had to laugh, the only thing missing was the gag gift he'd gotten for Merle, a fake pirate stump with a hook in it.

***

For Christmas that year Rick gave Daryl a chunk of the marred oak tree he'd saved. He'd had it framed in a shadow box, and had the other chunk hanging in his room. Daryl got Rick 'Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' in hardback.

Daryl turned eighteen in January and moved in with Rick and his family the next day. His dad had come looking for him and tried to make a scene, but he didn't get very far because Rick's dad knew the chief of police (Daryl wished he'd known that during their confrontation with Pete and his buddies in the mall parking lot, he wouldn't have hesitated so much). They'd hauled him off before he even got a chance to start trouble.

The baseball team went to state that year, Daryl got the truck running and went to every game. Rick got three offers for college, he picked a small private college that was in the next county over so he wouldn't have to leave home or Daryl. Daryl's boss, Mr. Morales, made him assistant manager, which was funny because they were the only two that worked there, but it meant Daryl had more responsibility and he got a raise.

When they graduated that spring, Merle met Rick's family and promised to keep what he knew of the boys' relationship from Daryl's dad. Merle then figured he was part of Rick's family too, and came over for free food and beer whenever he could.

Daryl had gotten his ASE certification and could charge more money at the garage he was working at, enough to find and pay for a small apartment. Rick moved in as soon as he could convince his parents he and Daryl could make it on their own. They hung their matching tree art next to each other in the living room and kept a drawer full of toys in the bedroom, Rick still liked it a little rough. Shane learned to call before he came over, Merle didn't give a shit as long as there was food and beer in the fridge to keep him busy.

Rick injured his knee senior year of college, he was still limping when they got married in August of that year, the anniversary of the day they had met in the woods. Shane was Rick's best man and Daryl's brother Merle was his. The school let them get married on the baseball field, Daryl would have preferred getting married in the woods at the stump of the lighting struck oak, but there were too many people in attendance.

Except for Mr. Coleman, who had died the previous year, and Mr. Blake, who was recovering from an eye injury after falling onto the aquarium in his room, all the school administration was in attendance. All the old baseball team, Rick's parents and family on Rick's side of the aisle, and Mr. Morales and most of Daryl's customers and some of the people from the trailer park where he'd grown up for Daryl. Nobody knew where his father was, and Daryl couldn't care less.  Andrea and Michonne were there too, getting ideas for their own wedding, no doubt.

Rick became a teacher at the school they'd graduated from and Mr. Morales sold the garage to Daryl for a dollar when he decided to move his family to Florida. Daryl had to hire two more people to help keep up with the demand at his garage.

Rick spent the next ten years teaching algebra.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the fic! Like I said before, I'm working on my first multi-chapter fic, and I'm not sure if I should post it as I write it or finish it all up first. Also, did you notice the song references? I can't remember how many I snuck in there, and some barely count, but there are a few. I'm on Tumblr if you would like to see what other things I like.


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